Vanessa Hudgens & Zac Efron Deal With the Distance
How do Vanessa Hudgens, who filmed the comedy “Will” in Austin, Texas, and Zac Efron, who shot “Me and Orson Welles” in England, stay close and deal with the distance that the pair have been handed due to work. They pretty much handle it like everyone else, they use long distance and according to Us Weekly some very long phone calls.
“Their bill is huge, but they don’t care,” a source close to the duo, who will be reuniting soon to begin work to film High Scholl Musical 3, tells the weekly entertainment magazine. “Vanessa needed to hear his voice.” The source said that the duo Hudgens, 19, and Efron, 20, also e-mailed each other constantly.
That of course flies in the face of the recent break up reports that have surrounded the couple. A report from Entertainment Wise in the UK claims that Zac is so fed up with all of the questions surrounding the pair (they desperately try to keep their private life private0 that he is now refusing to talk about Vanessa.
The reason, he doesn’t want his words to come back and bite him if they break up. “I want to keep that private - sorry. All I can say is that Vanessa’s a great girl. And I’d hate to say more about it because by the time this interview comes out, it may or may or may not be relevant.”
O Sister, what art thou?
A new film sheds light on how sibling rivalry can turn your closest friend into your most hated foe, writes Deirdre Reynolds
She’s supposed to be your closest friend and confidante. Yet in reality, she’s often the biggest bitch you’ve ever met in your life.
The latest film to hit cinemas here shows how the harmless hair-pulling that goes on between young sisters across the world can degenerate into full-blown battle.
Based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl charts one of the most explosive cases of sibling rivalry in history. It tells the tale of aristocratic sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn, who went to war over sex-mad monarch King Henry VIII in the 16th century. And the true story, starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, reveals how women who are flung together by birth can wind up becoming bitter rivals rather than bosom buddies.
For sisters flocking to see the flick together over the weekend, there may have been a few moments of uncomfortable silence. And while pinching your clothes, helping themselves to the last of your favourite perfume, or eyeing up your man might not be on the same level as tearing the heart of the Tudor palace in two, they underline the complex blend of backstabbing and loyalty that define sisterhood, according to psychologist Dorothy Rowe.
Party girl pals/catfight combatants Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie may have propelled the term ‘frenemy’ to the urban dictionary, but for its origins look no further than your own family.
Dr Rowe, who wrote My Dearest Enemy, My Dangerous Friend: Making and Breaking Sibling Bonds, reckons most women both love and loathe their skin and blister at various times throughout their life.
“The reason I came up with the title was to try and encapsulate that deeply ambivalent relationship between most siblings,” she added.
“Up to now, psychologists and therapists have been looking at the relationship between the child and mother; but while doing that, they’ve steadfastly ignored the relationship between siblings.
“Yet we all know how important siblings are — they’re the people we have the longest relationship with and it doesn’t matter how old you get, the connection is always there. I decided to look at how siblings form an attachment to one another and explain the dynamic that develops.”
And although the study looks at both brothers and sisters, Dr Rowe says things usually get more complicated between the girls.
“Siblings can demolish us,” she added. “You know those frequent occurrences, when your sister says something which to an outsider might seem quite banal, but you’ve been struck through the heart with an arrow by it.
“You know the other so well. They know the things that upset you most and those that give you deepest pleasure.
“The book is about both brothers and sisters, but I think women talk about it more. A lot of men aren’t troubled by not keeping up with relatives or they leave it to their wives.”
Just because you’re related, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get on, Dr Rowe explained. But whether you bond or bicker, your filial feelings could colour your relationships for the rest of your life.
“If you look at conflicts around the world, the ones that are hardest to resolve involve some kind of family relationship,” she said. “The war between the Israelis and Palestinians is effectively a family squabble. Likewise, in Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants fought throughout the years but they also bedded each other. There’s no genetic difference between these groups and they row like siblings.”
She added: “Siblings are our first peer group, so even when we go to school and work we often see others in terms of our relationship with them — sometimes causing us to make really bad mistakes. For instance, if you’ve got a female boss, you might immediately assume she’s going to be as nasty to you or look after you the way your sister did.”
And sibling rivalry starts the second an interloper arrives in the house to steal the affections of mum and dad. Whether you’re the halo-wearing first born, overshadowed middle-child or attention-seeking youngest, your placement in the clan can determine whether you enjoy girly get-togethers with your sis, or barely stand the sight of each other in the years to come, says Rowe.
“When you’re an only child, you’re in this nice situation of being treated like a prince or princess by your parents or grandparents. Suddenly, this thing turns up and you’re displaced, and it can cause tremendous trauma for the child — even when the parents deal with it well.
“I remember one young woman who found out she was pregnant with her second child and did all the things you’re supposed to, like telling her daughter about the baby in mummy’s tummy, involving her in shopping for the baby and giving her a present the day the baby was born. She thought everything was fine until her daughter turned around and said, ‘Couldn’t you have kept that thing inside you for another while?’”
She added: “The older sibling is a trailblazer, while the younger ones test the limits set by them. Within families, there’s usually a ‘good’ sibling and a ‘bad’ one and it can be difficult to break out of that mould.”
No matter how many years pass, it can be impossible to view your sister as anyone other that the girl who mutilated your beloved teddy bear, snitched to your parents when you smoked pot in college, or beat you down the aisle, Dr Rowe revealed: “Most people I spoke to say that when they’re with their siblings, they feel like a swan — calm on the surface but paddling underneath.”
And society may frown on it, but don’t be afraid to give a malicious sis the flick.
The author, who confessed to having a tumultuous relationship with her own big sister, said: “Women can feel guilty if they haven’t fulfilled what is expected of them by society and so they maintain a relationship with a difficult sibling and do things for them they wouldn’t for a troublesome friend.
“We get caught up in this thing of blood being thicker than water. But I think you’ve got to work out the cost of keeping in touch with someone who really isn’t on your side. If she was a friend who was consistently horrible, you’d drop her.”
But provided she isn’t trying to get her claws into your hubbie, a la Anne Boleyn, it is possible to make her a mate — and not just a relation.
And in spite of the contradictory concoction of devotion, rage, envy, competitiveness and loyalty they inspire, sisters can be the best friend a girl will ever have.
Dr Rowe joked: “I think sisters are more likely to row over who’s got the better job nowadays, than over a man like the Boleyns! But once there isn’t an insurmountable level of resentment there, it’s possible to have a great relationship and look after each other in that way that only sisters do.”
SISTER ACT: Celebrity siblings
Elle and Mimi Macpherson: What do you do when you live in the shadow of a big sister known simply as ‘The Body’? Make a sex tape, silly.
Although already a celeb in Oz, supermodel Elle’s baby sis hit international headlines in the late Nineties when she starred in an X-rated home video with then boyfriend Michael Hellwig.
It’s not the only attempt the presenter has made to distance herself from her wholesome sibling.
Black sheep Mimi, who has a string of drink-driving convictions to her name, changed her name when she set up her whale watching business Down Under.
But the business took off when she reverted to her famous family surname.
Ashlee and Jessica Simpson: Erstwhile raven-haired rocker Ashlee appears to be morphing into busty big sister Jessica by the day. And psychologists could probably have a field day with the reasons why she’s coming over all Single White Female on her own sister.
Manager dad Joe moved the family to LA in a bid to boost bombshell Jessica’s profile — at the expense of her younger sister’s budding ballet career back home.
Crooner Jessica shot to fame on MTV reality show Newlyweds after saying ‘I do’ to pop hunk Nick Lachey.
But wannabe Ashlee became the butt of showbiz jokes, especially after a reddening lip-syncing incident on Saturday Night Live.
These days, though, Ashlee appears to be the paparazzi’s favourite since going public on her relationship with Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz.
Kylie and Dannii Minogue: In 1980s Melbourne, two young sisters were on the path to stardom.
However, one of the starry-eyed pair could only dream of duplicating the success of the other, who was already a regular on top TV variety show Young Talent Time.
In those days, it was younger sibling Dannii who stole the show. But after landing a part in Neighbours, the scales tipped permanently in favour of petite pop queen Kylie. Both sisters have embarked on music, acting and fashion careers, with Kylie triumphing each time.
Despite the reversal of fortune, though, Dannii denies that there’s any sibling rivalry seething beneath the mega-watt smiles: “We were raised in a family of love and support and that has not changed.”
The Corrs: While most siblings are busy fighting over the remote control, Dundalk clan The Corrs lived in perfect harmony — literally.
Trio of sisters Caroline, Sharon and Andrea, and brother Jim, spent their teenage years practicing music in his bedroom. And they finally hit the big time performing at the Summer Olympics in 1996. But despite being surrounded by sizzling siblings, it was ethereal beauty Andrea who hogged the limelight.
And as the rest of the family swap touring for teething, 33-year-old Andrea, who’s dating multi-millionaire Brett Desmond, has a monopoly on the media’s attention.
‘We now laugh about the awful things that we did to each other’
Sisters Anne-Marie, 28, and Patricia McKenna, 25, from Moynalty, Co Meath, reveal how they turned a troubled relationship around to become best friends as well as family.
Anne-Marie says: “Patricia and I were not at all close when we were young. As there are five girls in the family, you had to choose to team up with the strong ones to survive; Patricia was not one of the strong ones — I never chose her. She was so gullible and did almost anything we asked her to do and she always got in trouble for it.
“However, when I finished college and got a job, I was living at home and realised that I was lost; Trish took me under her wing. We went out together every other weekend and had a great laugh. We’re still really close and I even asked her to be my bridesmaid! We now laugh about the manic childhood that we had and the awful things that we did to each other.”
Patricia says: “Anne-Marie is three years older than me. When we were growing up, there were five of us around the same age so I stuck with whichever gang suited the situation! Anne-Marie and I went to the same primary and secondary school, but I can honestly say that we weren’t friends until I was about 20. She was always studying, whereas I preferred to daydream. When we both moved to Dublin for college we lived together for a year, but never really spoke.
“I suppose we didn’t really have that much in common. It all changed in 2004; she broke up with her boyfriend when I was in my final year of college. We started doing things together — socialising, going out drinking — and became good friends. We’re still very close. I think she mellowed a little and I started taking life a bit more seriously.”
Musical star Scarlett Johansson
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber thinks Scarlett Johansson is “a natural star for musicals”.
The music composer - who is responsible for shows including ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Cats’ and ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ - met Scarlett to discuss the possibility of her appearing in the London theatre production of ‘The Sound of Music’.
He said: “We had a lunch together - I think she would have been brilliant. She certainly has the voice to do it.
“It was a lunch that started off at 12.30pm and went on till after five because it was a lovely sunny day and we were performing various songs from musicals. She is terrific - a natural star for musicals.”
Andrew also revealed he recently had a hit song in the UK singles charts, but refused to reveal which one.
He added: “I have had a chart hit that was not credited to me, yes - more recently than you might think. It went pretty much all of the way. I just love doing things that wrong-foot people.”
Scarlett can soon be heard debuting her vocal talents on her new album, ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’.
Hilton: ‘I work hard for my money’
Paris Hilton has downplayed her reputation as a lady of leisure - insisting she has battled through tough press to create her very own “empire”.
The millionaire hotel heiress isn’t phased by the negative “lies” surrounding her wild-partying ways, because she knows she has worked hard to amass her own fortune.
And the celebutante urges fans to follow her entrepreneurial example, branding herself an “inspiration” to all aspiring socialites.
She says: “I don’t pay attention to lies because I am a good person. I work very hard and I’ve built this empire on my own. I think this is an inspiration for a lot of girls out there.”
Paris Hilton on German TV
While Benji Madden and his band “Good Charlotte” did a show in Cologne, Paris was a guest at a tv show.
On last night’s edition of the German entertainment programme “Wetten Dass…?” which is one if not the most popular German tv show, where participants present their crazy bets, you saw the usual mix of bets, celebrities and entertainment.
Like usual, Paris wasn’t that talkative besides of saying that she loves to be on the show and that she really enjoys being there. As always she looked marvelous - this time in a long floating summer dress with floral print - and was the actual highlight of the show.
As usual the guests of the show had to decide if the person performing their difficult tasks would succeed. Paris, who hosted the “Squash Bet” lost, and so she had to fulfill a task herself which wasn’t that hard, cause she had to get into a photo cabin with one female spectator of the show having her picture taken.
Other highlights of the night included the performance of R.E.M. and Udo Lindenberg. Besides of Paris you could see the celebrities Oliver Kahn, Rolando Villazón, Jimi Blue and Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht, Magdalena Neuner, Kati Wilhelm and Andrea Henkel, Kurt Krömer, Udo Lindenberg, Yvonne Catterfeld, Heide Rosendahl and Danny Ecker.
Paris Hilton obviously likes Germany as she happens to stop by from time to time, like at last year’s Oktoberfest in Munich of recently when she presented her collection of hand bags in Berlin.
This was the last edition of Wetten Dass…? before it’s summer break and we’ll see Thomas Gottschalk and his celebrity guests back in autumn.
Hilton Sparks Paparazzi Violence
Several photographers have been injured after the arrival of socialite Paris Hilton in Turkey sparked riots among the paparazzi at Istanbul airport.
The hotel heiress landed in the city on Thursday ahead of her stint as a judge in the Miss Turkey 2008 contest.
The 27-year-old’s presence led to hysteria amongst the photographers all clambering to take her picture, with a major fight breaking out amongst rival snappers.
Footage of the incident, shown on TMZ.com, shows a barrage of punches being thrown, with one man seen using his video camera as a weapon. One photographer is seen walking away with blood streaming from his nose.
Anderson scarred for life by leeches
Pamela Anderson was scarred for life at the age of nine when she was attacked by leeches in a lake.
The former ‘Baywatch’ beauty still has a series of marks on her arm, where the blood-suckers attached themselves to her - and she showed them off to talk show host Craig Ferguson on his show on Monday.
She revealed: “I was attacked by leeches when I was nine. It was very traumatic. A bunch of them jumped on me in a lake while I was swimming under the water.”
Pamela Anderson’s marriage to Rick Salomon annulled
Pamela Anderson’s marriage to Rick Salomon was annulled by a Los Angeles County Superior Court Monday, March 24, on the grounds of fraud.
Anderson and Salomon married at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas in a whirlwind ceremony on October 6, 2007, during an hour-and-a-half break between two magic shows that Anderson was performing.
Anderson initially filed for divorce in December 2007 citing irreconcilable differences. Later, on February 22, she filed for annulment citing fraud.
On Friday, March 21, Salomon too sought annulment citing fraud.
The nature of the fraud cited is not known but according to TMZ sources Anderson promised Salomon they would have children together.
Anderson’s five month marriage to Salomon was her third.
The former Baywatch star married her second husband, Kid Rock, on a yacht in St Tropez last summer, but filed for divorce 115 days later saying, “Never get married on vacation.”
Pamela has two sons - Brandon, 11, and nine-year-old Dylan from her marriage to rocker Tommy Lee.
The Star Report: Turns out young people really like Miley Cyrus
The Miley Cyrus juggernaut continues. At Saturday’s Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles, she took home trophies for favorite female singer and favorite TV actress and delivered a spirited performance of her hit song, “GNO - Girls Night Out.” The Nickelodeon children’s television network broadcast the 21st annual show live from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in front of 10,000 screaming fans, almost all of them teens and preteens.
Jack Klugman suing for back wages
Did Jack Klugman not have direct deposit back when he was a TV star? Because he’s suing NBC Universal for money he says they owe him for profits from “Quincy, M.E.” Klugman is 85 and played the crime-busting Dr. R. Quincy from 1976 to 1983. His 1976 contract with NBC entitles him and his company, Sweater Productions, to 25 percent of the show’s “net profits,” according to the suit filed in Superior Court. “I recently heard that they made $250 million and it’s still on TV in Germany. I don’t want their money. I want my money,” Klugman told the Associated Press.
Axl Rose just doesn’t seem like the ‘Be a Pepper’ type
Someone at Dr Pepper is either a ginormous Guns N’ Roses fan, or they have a deeply twisted sense of humor. The soda company last week came up with a bizarre marketing scheme, offering to give everyone in the United States a can of Dr Pepper if GNR frontman Axl Rose
finishes and releases in 2008 the “Chinese Democracy” album he’s allegedly been working on for 17 years.Is Dr Pepper really that eager for new GNR material? Is anyone really that eager for new GNR material? We didn’t think so. More like they’re making fun of Rose’s obsessive/compulsive disorder. Meanies!
The marketing pitch is quite a stretch: “It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper’s special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love,” said Jaxie Alt, director of marketing for Dr Pepper. “So we completely understand and empathize with Axl’s quest for perfection - for something more than the average album. We know once it’s released, people will refer to it as ‘Dr Pepper for the ears’ because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic.”
Um, right. Rose responded a couple of days later with a statement on the band’s Web site saying the band is not involved in the promotion. He didn’t say whether he’d try to finish the album this year, if only to see Dr Pepper distribute 303,736,481 cans of free soda.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reportedly got married Saturday
Star magazine reported Saturday that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who are expecting twins this summer, tied the knot during an intimate wedding ceremony in the couple’s adopted city of New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday afternoon.
Star has reported that Brad had long wanted the ceremony to take place in the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina, while Angelina preferred a small, intimate ceremony in France. The now husband and wife, along with their four children, are expected to return to Texas, where Brad is currently filming “Tree of Life.”
This is the second trip down the aisle for Brad, who ended his five-year marriage to Jennifer Aniston shortly after meeting Angelina on the set of their 2005 film “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Twice-married Angelina divorced actors Jonny Lee Miller in 1999 and Billy Bob Thornton in 2003 after three-year marriages to each.
Miley Cyrus is impossible - official
It’s official - Miley Cyrus is completely impossible. That’s not the view of some disgruntled teacher, or unimpressed director. Nor is it a parental outburst from father Billy Ray. This is the result of three years’ research from none other than top space boffin Stephen Hawking.
“I have used Mach’s principle, quantum cosmology, all three Newtonian laws, gauge theories in elementary particle physics, the Hamiltonian theory of Einstein’s gravitational field, quantum theory of covariant systems, and quantum geometrodynamics, de Broglie-Bohm versions of quantum mechanics, quantum scattering (foundations and the role of the quantum flux), Bohmian mechanics, covariant geometrodynamics and an abacus. But I have to say I can find no law in the universe that can explain why on earth Miley Cyrus, Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana are so blooming successful.” said the cleverest man ever to speak through the use of an eyebrow and a computer.